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 Picha Mtaani, Swahili for “Street Exhibition”, is a youth led peace initiative supported by UNDP that primarily seeks to create space for young people to reconcile through peace building, violence prevention and promoting peaceful co-existence among young people in conflict affected towns. Through an exhibition set of images taken during Kenya’s 2007/2008 post election violence, the initiative steers to instill individual reflections on the horror that was inflicted to different people during the period.
Running under the theme Pamoja Tunaweza, “Together we can do it”, the exhibition was officially launched at a Nairobi Hotel and was graced by dignitaries from various quarters including US Ambassador to Kenya Michael Rannenberger, Salim Amin of the Mohamed Amin Foundation as well as chairman of Africa 24 Media, and Boniface Mwangi, the Director of the Picha Mtaani initiative. Also present was one of the victims, Mr. Kioko, whose hand had been chopped off during the violence, and had an opportunity to watch a photo of his hand as part of the photo exhibition. Speaking during the launch, Salim Amin, a renowned photojournalist and son of Mohamed Amin said, “I have seen this all my life, first through my father’s work, and now, through the work of photojournalists like Boniface.”
“I saw what happened in Rwanda in 1994 – didn’t believe it could happen here… stand up and say Never Again, be proud to be Kenyan,” he added. Mr. Rannenberger echoed the same words and reminded Kenya and her leaders to speed up the pace of reforms and shun impunity if such effects are not to be witnessed in future.
Boniface Mwangi, urged Kenyans to turn away from tribalism and political hatred, saying it is only this way that the nation can realize its dream of becoming a united and peaceful place for all and sundry.
In 2010, the Picha Mtaani exhibition will tour five towns that were hardest hit by the violence including Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu, Kericho and Mombasa. The event will run from January 13th with a book launch in April 2010.
The initiative targets to reach approximately 500, 000 young persons in these towns and also to empower the youth throughout the country to building bridges among themselves and reconciling their communities.
View Multimedia | View Pictures Of Picha Mtaani Launch 
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